Some strategies to help you sell your residential property quickly

So you want to sell your house. You know that the person who likes your house most is more likely to pay you what you want. So how do you get somebody to really like your house? You need to carry out some “staging” and the following tips might help:

First impressions count. How do you make sure that as a prospective buyer approaches your front door the right impression is made immediately? Brighten up the entrance by applying a fresh coat of paint, repolishing the front door, cleaning and polishing the door knocker, handle and lock hardware, cleaning pathways, and placing potted plants and shrubbery to make your guests feel welcome and you confident in showing off your house.

Tidy up. We all have our favourite belongings, many of which we don’t even use. Get rid of them. Be ruthless in your approach. Stuff takes up space, makes living areas look smaller and disorganised, and detracts from the attractiveness of your house. If you don’t need it, give it away, sell it or just trash it. In this case, less is definitely more.

Try to create space, even if it is an illusion. One way to achieve this is to move your furniture away from the walls. Couches clinging to walls simply don’t work. Float furniture away from walls; reposition it into sociable groupings.

Utilise unused spaces. Just because you may not use a space doesn’t mean that somebody else may not value it. If you have a spare room which is empty, turn it into an exercise room, a family room, a rumpus room, or a quaint library or reading room. Give the space a purpose; let the sunshine in.

Use as much natural light as possible. Allowing natural light to shine into a room makes a closed-in space seem larger. Where you cannot use natural light, try to make your home look warm and welcoming by trying some lighting design. To remedy bad lighting and make your home more inviting, increase the wattage in your lamps and fixtures. Aim for a total of 100 watts for every 50 square feet. Then install dimmers so you can vary light levels according to your mood and the time of day.

Don’t depend on just one or two light fixtures per room. Try to construct a combination of overhead, floor, table and accent lighting to create an overall pleasant ambience and make the room interesting.

Get painting. Painting is the cheapest and easiest way to give your home a new look. Don’t be scared to experiment as you can always paint again if you don’t like the colour. You could also try painting an accent wall to draw attention to a lovely set of windows. If you have built-in bookcases or niches, experiment with painting the insides a colour that will make them stand out. Don’t be afraid of black paint. The key, as always, is moderation. Use black as an accent in picture frames, lamp shades, accessories and small pieces of furniture.

Make art a feature of your house, not an afterthought. If your home’s like most, art is hung in a high line circling each room. That’s a big mistake. Vary the pattern and grouping by hanging a row of art diagonally, with each piece staggered a bit higher or lower than the next; triangularly, with one picture above, one below, and one beside; in a vertical line (perfect for accentuating a high ceiling).

Bring your garden inside. Well-staged homes are almost always graced with bountiful fresh flowers and interesting floral displays. Take clippings of branches or twigs and put them in a large vase in the corner of a room to add height. Adorn dead space with greenery or interesting and intriguing arrangements. Make each piece different and unique in its form.

Finally, get creative.  It’s your responsibility to make people fall in love with your home. Do whatever it takes and you will be rewarded.